📍 Hvar & Plitvice, Croatia 🇭🇷

Day 1: We drove the coast from Dubrovnik to Split, which is the most beautiful drive.

As we drove, there were two options: a bit of a longer route staying inside Croatia or a shorter route briefly going through Bosnia and Herzegovina. We obviously picked the latter. We got a passport stamp, filled up the tank, and had a bathroom break. Does that count as a visit?

Once we arrived in Split, we had a quick lunch at Lola to eat and plan. We decided to take a ferry to Hvar later that night. Since we had a few hours before the ferry, we walked around and explored the city.

Day 2: We woke up in Hvar and ate at Fig, which was amazing.

We took a $6 water taxi and found a remote private beach where we chilled for a few hours.

We went to dinner at Black Pepper, already forgetting we’re on a budget, but it was worth it.

We booked a tour for the Blue Cave the next day, so after dinner we packed up and got some sleep.

Day 3: Blue Cave tour day. I was apprehensive to take this tour because it was cold and supposed to be a little cloudy, but I am SO glad we did it. We took a speed boat to 5 islands near Hvar, including the Blue Cave and it was breathtaking.

The Blue Cave crew decided we all wanted to go out together, so J, myself, and one of the girls went to dinner to start the night. The waiter messed up J’s order, so on the way out he offered us all a shot. One shot turned into 5 and now we are practically best friends.

We walked over to the club the rest of the crew was at and it was like I took a time machine back to a frat party at JMU.

Day 4: We checked out of our Airbnb and drove around the island. We went to Stari Grad, which is a historic town on the water and then explored Vrboska and Jelsa.

We stopped at Skojić for lunch and walked around a bit more. We took the scenic route and the road quickly started looking like a sidewalk. When J asked the staff at the local restaurant if we were able to drive on the “road,” they said “why not?” The only words I can use here are “tight squeeze” but we made it.

I was tired and planned on taking a nap. When I asked J his plan, he said he found a restaurant with good food, on the top of a mountain, and with an amazing overlook. He also mentioned that reviews said how nice the staff was. You guessed it. I skipped that nap and we were off to dinner.

The reviews were spot on. The food was amazing and the husband and wife team were so friendly they even gave us a tour of their kitchen.

Day 5: We had a quick breakfast and then went to the ferry to head back to Split.

We walked around the city for a bit and then met up with one of our friends from the Blue Cave tour for dinner.

Because we were trying to see as much as we could in the short time we had left, we decided to drive directly to Zadar that night. Pro tip: make sure your “avoid tolls” option is turned off in Google maps, the trip is a LOT shorter that way. Whoops.

Day 6: We made our way to Plitvice Lakes National Park. It was supposed to rain all day, but it was the only day for us to go, so we got our rain jackets on and made the drive. It turned out to be a beautiful day and the park was amazing!

Somehow, the rain magically held off until we were walking out of the park. Perfect ending to one of the most beautiful countries. Croatia, we’ll be back!

Love,
AK & J